Quick detachable connection between a gun and its mount



April 21, 1959 c w. MUSSER 2,832,797

QUICK DETACHABLE CONNECTION BETWEEN A GUN AND ITS MOUNT Filed March 9, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. '6'.

INVENTOR. C WALTON MUSSER FIG. 2. BY I ATTORNEYS April 21, 1959 c w. MUSSER 2,882,797

QUICK DETACHABLE CONNECTION BETWEEN A GUN AND ITS MOUNT Filed March 9, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR. C WALTON MUSSER BY 25 q ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 21, 1959 QUICK DETACHABLE CONNECTION BETWEEN A GUN AND ITS MOUNT C Walton Musser, Levittown, Pa., assignor to the United- States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application March 9, 1956, Serial No. 570,648

3 Claims. (Cl. 89-27) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a quickly detachable connection between a portable gun and its mount and has for an object to save time and efiort when such a gun has to be removed from its mount. Another object is to simplify the construction and enable one adjustable retaining element to control both of two separable connections, one between the gun and its mount and the other in the firing mechanism for the gun.

Heretofore, a portable gun of the recoilless type has. been carried on a motor vehicle and has been removable.

with its mount for transportation over moderate terrain unsuitable for a vehicle. However such a gun has been needed in locations which are so rough as to make the movement of the gun and its mount together practically impossible. In such cases where the gun has to be carried separated from its mount, it has been necessary to unloosen several retaining elements and later tighten them when the weapon and mount are later assembled. A trigger or other type actuator for a firing mechanism has been carried on the mount for firing such a gun and the firing mechanism carried to the gun. On separating the gun from its mount it has been necessary also to detach some of the firing mechanism and later connect it before using the weapon. The various connections and disconnections, when made on the battlefield, have entailed precious minutes at a time when lives are at stake.

According tothis invention a single quickly detachable connection has been made to serve not only for holding the gun on its mount but also for simultaneously joining or separating the parts of the firing mechanism carried by the gun and mount. More specifically, one adjustable element retains the gun firmly on its mount as well as holding together the parts of the firing mechanism. To facilitate connecting the two parts of the firing mechanism it has been found desirable to change the usual movement of translation in such mechanism into angular movement in the quickly separable portions of such mechanism. One such portion is yieldably mounted to enable the connection between the gun and mount to be made regardless of the adjusted position of the separable portions in the firing mechanism and then that yieldable portion is moved into engagement with its cooperative portion later. An edge of the connection between the gun and its mount is provided with an undercut and bevelled portion. A single screw opposite this bevelled portion engages a projection to press a cooperative edge into this undercut part and thus hold the gun against longitudinal movement on its mount. This single screw is also directed to engage said projection at a location such that a component of the clamping pressure exerted by said single screw may hold the gun down tightly upon its mount.

' Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, showing the gun and the mount therefor.

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but with the gun separated from the mount.

Fig. 3 is the section on the line 33 of Fig. 1 with a cover plate partially removed from the transfer be); to

show the means for converting motion of translation of the firing mechanism into angular movement in the quick detachable connection for the firing mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 showing the underside of the gun at its quick detachable connection with part of a cover plate broken away to show the t means for changing the angular movement in the firing mechanism quick detachable connection into motion of translation for the shiftable rods going to the breech end of each gun. This view shows markings which indicate when the mechanism is in the neutral, or in the cal. '50 or 106 mm. firing positions.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5.of Fig. 1 through the mount showing the positioning guides.

, Fig. 6 is a section on the line of line 66 of Fig. 3. As shown, in Fig. 1, a 106 mm. gun 10 is of the recoilless type in which igneous gases from the propelling charge are discharged rearwardly out the breech to compensate for recoil on a projectile leaving the gun barrel. A mount 11 constitutes the support for the gun during use, and side or wing portions 11a (Fig. 5) extending a upwardly and outwardly from the wide supporting portion of the mount constitute guides by means of which the gun will be transversely centered with respect to its mount. A SO-caliber spotting rifle 12 is carried by the gun 10 through the support 13 and another support (not shown). Any convenient or well-known type of elevating mechanism for changing the angular position of the gun in a vertical plane is used, but has not been shown because it forms no part of the present invention.

A band 15 is shrunk around the gun barrel and depending from this band is a projection 16 torming a part of a clamping connection between the gun and its mount. Also carried by the gun on its underside is the housing 17 for the mechanism shown in Fig. 4 by means of which angular driven motion in a quick detachable connection (28 and 33) in a firing mechanism for the guns is converted into movements of translation. The forward edge of the mount 11 is provided with a bevelled undercut portion 18 for reception of a similarly shaped part 18a carried by the gun. A bolt 19 is carried by the mount, has a forward end 20 which is rounded as shown, and an actuating handle 21 pivoted at 22 to the bolt. The bolt 19, projection 16, and bevelled portion 18a received in undercut 18, are parts of the first mentioned connection. The reason for the pivotal connection 22 is to enable the handle 21 to be rotated and passed under the shiftable members 23 and 24 which constitute a portion of the firing mechanism carried by the guns. The slidable rod type firing member 25 carried by the mount is movable in one direction to fire the spotting rifle through the shiftable member 24 and movable in an opposite direction for firing the main gun through the shiftable member 23. This firing mechanism 25 may be trigger-actuated or directly movable in response to a push or pull by the operator.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the projection or knob 26 is bifurcated for reception of the reduced portion 27 of the rod 25. Movement of the rod 25 from the full line position to its dotted line position in Fig. 3 causes a clockwise movement of an upstanding projection (rib or tang) 28 which projects above the top of the transfer box 29 for reception in a cooperative polygonal recess 33 in the quick detachable connection for the firing mechanism.- As shown in Fig. 6, the tang or rib 28 is yieldably mounted on a support 32 held by the spring 30 in order that the weight of the gun may not have to be carried by the rib 28 in event this rib and its cooperative recess 33 are not in precise alignment. When the weight of the gun reaches the rib 28, the spring 30 is compressed, allowing the weight of the gun to be borne by load bearing surfaces on the mount 11 and housing 17 as shown in e. d w T e uPpQr r her hzfi istapered.

at 3.1 as shown in Fig. 6 in order that any portion of .the

weight of the gun applied to the rib may not cause the r b to jam or stick, but will enable it to have a limited tilting movement within its guide recess, due to this taper.

In Fig. 4, the angularly driven memberin the quick detachable connection for the firing mechanism is shown as having a recess or slot 33 shaped to receive the rib or tang 28. On clockwise movement of the slot 33, the lever 34 pivoted to this slotted driven member, pulls the knob 35 and the .shiftable member 24 for firing the spotting rifle 12. On a counter-clockwise rotation of the lever 34 and slotted member 33, the knob 35 is moved out of its recess in the lever 34 in order that no movement in the shiftable member 24 takes place. Instead, counter-clockwise motion of the lever 34 engages the projection 36 on the lever 37 pivoted at 38, causes the knob 39 to be pulled to the right shifting the member 23 and firing the 106mm gun. Thus, the shiftablemembers 23 and 24 are each moved in the same general direction but in response to opposite movements to the firing mechanism 25 carried by the mount.

In operation, the gun 10 and its mount 11 are together removed from a vehicle and carried where the terrain permits. But in country so rough, that both the gun and its mount cannot be carried together expeditiously, it is sometimes desirable to disconnect the gun from its mount in order that each may be carried separately. Such disconnection of the gun from its mount is quickly accomplished by rotation of the handle 21 and loosening the bolt 19, thereby enabling the gun to be lifted off of its mount. Thus, the single retaining element or bolt 19 holds and releases both the quick detachable clamping connection (16, 18a, and 18) for the gun and the quick detachable connection (28 and 33) which is in the firing mechanism. To reassemble the gun on its mount the portion of the gun containing the band 15 is allowed to rest over the mount 11. The guides 11a assist in transversely centering the gun on its mount. No attention need be paid to whether or not the rib 28 engages its cooperative recess 33. The gun is slid forward with the front bevelled edge portion 18a, carried by the gun, fitting within the undercut bevelled portion 18 of the mount, which acts as a stop to limit forward movement of the gun. On tightening the bolt 19, this forward movement of the gun is accomplished and at the same time the thrust on the projection 16 by the bolt 19 tends to hold down or press the gun against its mount, so that the two are solidly held together. The firing mechanism is then moved to a position such that the rib 28 engageswithin its cooperative recess 33. As will be demonstrated, movement of the rod 25 in one direction actuates one of the shittable members 23 or 24 and movement of the fir ing mechanism 25 in the opposite direction actuates the other one of those shiftable members 23 or 24 carried by the spotting rifle and the main gun. The cover plate shown in Fig. 4 contains marks as illustrated to indicate the angular position of the recess 33 for firing one weapon and its angular position for firing the other.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned the saving in critical time needed where it is necessary to separate the gun from its mount and a corresponding saving in time on assembling the gun on its mount. Instead of having a number of separate bolts or other retaining mechanisms, it is now only necessary to loosen one retaining mechanism 19. Such loosening permits the gun to be withdrawn directly from its mount so that this one retaining mechanism 19 holds together the separable connections between both the gun and its mount and also holds together the detachable portions of the firing mechanism in operative position. Due to the firing mechanism on both the mount and the gun being constituted in part and actuated by a shiftable rod, a suitablequick detachable connection has been at ained by tion of the projection and recess type between said housing and mount, one portion of said connection being in said housing and the other portion thereof being in said mount, a firing mechanism comprising a slidable member for firing the larger gun on movement of said member in one direction and firing the spotting rifle on movement of said member in the opposite direction, said slidable member being connected to the quick detachable connection portion in the mount for efiecting angular displacement thereof and of the cooperating portion of said quick detachable connection in the housing, the projection and recess of said quick detachable connection being of polygonal cross-section, a projection secured to the portion of the quick detachable connection in said mount and leading to said slidable member for actuating said quick detachable connection in each direction, a flexible cable between said quick detachable connection portion in the housing and the spotting rifle, another flexible cable between the larger gun and said quick detachable connection portion in the housing, and mechanism for pulling one cable on angular displacement of said quick detachable connection in one direction and for pulling the other cable on displacement of said quick detachable connection in the opposite direction, and means for attaching said larger gun to said mount.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the projection or recess portions of said quick detachable connection is yieldably mounted, load bearing surfaces adjacent thereto on the mount and housing whereby the weight of said larger gun may be carried by said mount and housing for said larger gun in advance of having the projection and recess of said quick detachable connection in engagement and the angular alignment of the projection and recess may be made after I the weight of the gun rests upon its mount, at least one of said projection and recess portions extending toward its .complementary portion more than does its adjacent load bearing surface, and a spring cooperating with said yieldably mounted portion for returning said portion to its extended position after said quick detachable connection has become fully engaged.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said means for attaching said larger gun to said mount consists of a clamping connection, said connection being engage-' able on at least some relative movement of the larger gun in an axial direction and substantially normal to its movement for engagement of said quick detachable and angularly displaceable connection, said clamping connection including: a wall bevelled in a direction to hold the 1 larger gun on said mount; a projection extending below said housing; and a bolt for engagement with said projection which bolt when clamped against said projection tends to hold the larger gun against its mount.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 974,552 Cartwright Nov. 1, 1910 1,228,390 Bechereau June 5, 1917 1,324,934 Shand Dec. 16, 1919 2,443,105 Gordon June 8, 1948 2,644,366 Danielsen et al. July 7, 1953 2,759,398 Benditt et al Aug. 21, 1956 2,805,603 Musser Sept. 10', 1957 OTHER REFERENCES Ordnance, January-February 1955, New Tank Buster, 

